So, when we mentioned we were stopping in at Houston on our travels we got some less than favourable responses! But two days in, and the Schwaigers are lovin' Houston. A little steamy, but great for the skin after all that desert drying San Diego weather, and as you would expect from a city that invented the air conditioner, no shortage of places to cool off. Our pot-luck choice of accommodation has been perfect. We are just around the corner from Rice Village (Great, great shopping experience for Susie), and close by Hermann Park & The Children's Museum, both of which we visited today. At Hermann Park we walked the long way to the playgrounds which meant we all dripped with sweat, until the kids found the splash area and just had to get wetter. We then walked the long way to the Park Train, but fortunately there were some Water Girls promoting a $9.95 Oil Change by way of handing out free iced water bottles along the way, and then we finished up with a bit more physical activity on this 93 degree day by hiring a paddle boat. The plan was for Matt & Susie to do 15 mins of paddling each, but according to Park regulations we could not moor and switch paddlers

. So Susie got the extra workout - and the extra beer for her efforts. By the time we were finished, we were hungry, sweaty and ready to test out this city's fine Children's Museum and it wasn't a let down. The kids had a ball, as did Matt who was able to make his very own "flip books" and impressed Daniel with Wipe Out (his ode to surfing) and Goal! (the Socceroos beating Iraq 3:1).Two weeks today on the road, and still loving it. We've settled into a really happy travelling caravan and each day throws up new and exciting adventures. Some we capture on film, some we giggle over in the car for hours on and off, and some provide an interesting 'teaching moment' for the kids. To quote Oprah, "Some things we do know for sure", is that Tom is in heaven having his siblings to himself every single day, the Wii no longer dominates our life, and Matt is as dedicated a family-traveller as he is Altium employee. Life is great!